Vegetable and fruit peeling machine.



0. G. CHASE & H. 0. BUSOHMANN.

VEGETABLE AN D FRUIT FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21

Patehted Dec. 29,1914.

2-SHEETSSHEET l.

rromvn WITNESSES:

O. G. CHASE & H. U. BUSOHMANN.

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT PEELING'MAOHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1913. 1,122,859.

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CHARLES G. CHASE AND HARRY C. BUS CI-IMANN. OE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT P EELIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 19141.

Application filed January 21, 1913. Serial No. 7 43,5243.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES G. Cnasn and HARRY C. BUSCHMANN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Indianapo- "lis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and .useful I the pressure of the atmosphere produced by creating a vacuum, and the removal of skins by passing them through a vacuum tube and thus providing a means for taking careof the waste material.

In carrying out this feature of the invention, a vacuum tube is provided, with an open end to the mouth of which isplaced the fruit or vegetable to be peeled. A suction head, is also provided, through which is fed fruits and vegetables, and to which may be attached one or more vacuum tubes, which number of tubes depends solely upon the kind or variety of fruit or vegetable being peeled.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is'a Vertical section, substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse central. vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the suction head with the suction tubes partially broken away. Fig. 4. is a transverse section thereof on the line 4.4 of

Fig. 3 showing the same in collapsed condition. Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. 4, showing it expanded with a tomato passing through it. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the left-hand end of the suction head, as shown in Fig. 3, in collapsedcondition. Fig. 7 is a section radially and transversely through the rim of the wheel showing one of the forks, and parts being broken away. Fig. 8 is an elevationof a modified arrangeprojects above the tank.

mentof suction tubes as applied to a to- 11 1ato.- F g. 9 is another modlfied construction' of the peel removing means.

As seen inFig. 1,th'ere is a tank 10 which is almost filledv with water. As shown in Fig. 2, this tank is supported on the cross rods 11 extending fbetween vertical side frames 12. The side" frames are triangular,

as indicated in Fig. '1, and areskeleton frames with a central vertically extending bar. The upper ends of these side frames are turned inwardly horizontally some distance, but spaced apart so as to leave a wide openin between them above the tank. The 79 water in the tank is heated with a steam pipe 13.

Within the tank an innerframe is suspended from the tops of the sides of the outer frames 12. The inner frame consists :5

of two side bars 15 with outwardly extending flanges at the top resting upon the inwardly extending flanges from the outer frames 12 and. secured bybolts 16. These frame bars 15 extend almost to the bottom of the tank 10 and are held in operative positions by a cross bar- .17 at the lower end. The inner frame bars" 15 have bearings about midway their length for the spindle 18 of a wheel 19, so that by far. the greater g5 portion of said wheel extends down into the tank, although the upper portion thereof The wheel consists of a rim, spokes and hub, and on the hub there is a sprocket wheel 119 which is driven by a chain 20 from some source of power, whereby the wheel is revolved in the. direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

As seen in Fig. 2, the rim of the wheel 19 extends farther beyond the spokes at one side than at the other, and on said extended side of the rim there is an annular series of forks mounted. These forks consist of the outer fork portion 21 and a shaft or shank portion 22 which extends radially through the rim of the wheel 19 and is rotatably mounted. For this purpose there are collars 23 and 24: secured to the fork shaft'22, one on the outside and one on the inside of the rim of the wheelto hold the fork from longitudinal displacement and, therefore, the rim of the wheel is preferably provided with flattened lugs 25 for the collars 23 and 24 to bear upon.

The shafts or shanks 22 of the forksextendonly a short distance inward beyond the rim and carry on their inner ends beveled pinions 26 adapted; during the revolution of the wheel, to comexinto mesh with segmental rack bars 27 and 28. The rack bar 27 is secured by a bracket 29 to one of the inner frame bars near its lower end so as to be wholly submerged in the water. The rack bar 28 is mo unted on an arm 30 projecting from the upper part of an inner frame bar 15, as shown in Fig. 1. It ex-- tends from the frame bar 15 near the middle,

and extendsupwardly at an inclination to a point j'ust above the tank 10 so that it is never submerged.

Radially opposite the rack bar 28 a suction head 35 is mounted on an arm 36extending from the arm 30. This suction head, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, i's'substantiallv cylindrical and expands longitudinally parallel with the rim of the wheeland is radially slotted at 37, see Fig. 6, to permit the shank of the fork to pass through it as the wheel 19 is revolved and carry a tomato 40 through the suction head. The frontthe suction head and it has expanded only some of the folds. A larger tomato would expand more of the folds. Therefore, the surface or peeling of the tomato rubs against the inner wall of the suction head, as seen in Fig. 5, as the tomato is carried through by I the fork and is rubbed-off in. particles and thus those particles are drawn out and removed by suction tubes 41 which extend from various portions of the suction head and merge into one common suction tube/12 extending-to some airexhausting means and having some discharge outlet, which are not shown. a I v I i In operationa person standing at the right-hand side of the device, as shown in Fig. 1, places a tomato HPQH each fork 21 as it comes into convenient position,say at the point where it is marked X. The stem portion of the tomato is inserted on the fork so that the remaining or smooth portion of the tomato will be presented to the apparatus and suction head. The wheel revolves continuously and carries the tomatoes on the forks down into the hot water-in the tank. In the lower part of the tank, the tomatoes come in contact with cleaning brushes 50. There are three of these, as

seen in Fig. 2, one mounted on the lower end of each frame bar 15 and one on the cross 1113.3 care to adopt.

frame bar for mountingone of the brushes soas to bring the brush in the right position. These brushes en a e the surface ofthe tomato. When the tomatoes reach the brushes 50, the rack 27 revolves the forks and tomatoes so as to promote the cleaning of them.

The movement of the tomatoes through the water scalds them'so as to render the. peeling readily removable and then the.to-

matoes are moved successively through the head 35 where the peeling is removed. f

The modified form of suction apparatus,

shown in Fig. 8, omits the suction head, butprovides a number of suction tubes 4i with their suction ends positioned to come in touch with the surface of the tomato and the revolution of the tomato will cause all parts of the surface to come within the suction influences of the tubes, The tubes 41 may be held by hand or by any-suitable means, not shown. a

shown in Fig. 9, is also The modified form held by hand and consists of a tube 41 with a plurality of suction holes and a brush 60 located in advance ofthe suction. tube so that it will dislodge the peeling asthe' tomato revolves and the scraps of peeling will be taken up by the suction tube.- The brush and tube'are held together by the conneca Any suitable means may be :used for.

lowering the atmospheric pressure 'to a vacu um within the tubes and head, which may be accomplished by the use of a; vacuum pump or any other convenient means that the user maybe made of either. metal or flexible materials. The suction head, as shown in Fig.

3, is particularly adapted for peeling tomatoes and peaches. form, the mouth of which is circular and is maintained in an expanded position by a ring; its walls are made of resilient and flexible materials, having bellows or, bag folds, made of similarmaterials, running longitudinally, and having expansionable cross sections at each-endused as doors for opemng andcloslng thehe'ad'to-admit and discharge the fruit.'-After the fruits or vegetables are soalded ,--which may be ac complished by any of the different and well known methods, they arefed by hand, or by any suitable mechanism that will not break the skins, into the mouth of the suction head. d When the fruitenter's the mouth of the head, the vacuum within causes" the atmospheric pressure without to shut the cross sections air tight behind the fruit, and the air, admitted along with the fruit, is immediately pumped out and a vacuum created within the head. Pumping the air out'of the head draws the *fruit' againstthe'tubes and holds itthere by a stronger vacuum be- It is cylindrical in bar 17. A bracket 51' is secured togone The tubes and head riety of fruits or vegetables through the suction head. Just as the peeled fruit leaves the rear end ofthesuction head, it opens the cross sections and air rushes into the suction head, breaking through the walls of skin that are stretched across the mouth of the tubes, and thereby creating a suction that draws the skin out of the suction head into and through the tubes and discharging it through a tube or pipe into any suitable receptacle.

The number of tubes that will be engaged in peeling fruits and vegetables will depend upon the particular variety peeled, as some fruits and vegetables are more perfectly peeled by the use of only one tube, While other varieties require a sufficient number of tubesto cover their entire surface.

We claim as our invention:

1. A vegetable and fruit peeler including a suction head and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suction head, whereby the pressure of the atmosphere produced by the vacuum will remove thepeeling and convey it away.

2. A vegetable and fruit peeler including a suction head and means for holding the vegetable or fruit vand moving it through said-suction head, and one or more vacuum tubes connected with said suction head whereby the pressure of the atmosphere produced by the vacuum insaid head will remove the peeling and convey it away.

3. A vegetable and fruit peeler including a suction head and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suction head, and one or more vacuum tubes connected with said suction head, whereby the pressure of the atmosphere produced by the vacuum in said head will remove the peeling and convey it away.

4. Suction means for removing peeling from vegetables and fruits which includes a suction head and means for holding the V vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suctionhead, said suction head being normally collapsed but capable of being expanded to permit the passage of vegetables or fruits of various sizes, and one or more vacuum tubes leading from said suction head through which the skin is conveyed and discharged to some suitable place.

5. Means for removing the peeling'from vegetables and fruits which includes a suction head having a constantly expanded entrance end'and a normally collapsed flexible body portion and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suction head and one or more vacuum tubes leading from the body portion of the suction head to a main pipe through which the skin is conveyed into a receptacle.

6. Suction means for removing the peeling from vegetables and .fruits which includes a suction head and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said -suctionhead, and one or more vacuum tubes leading from the wall of the suction head. r

'7. Suction means for removing peeling from vegetables and fruits which includes a suction head having a constantly expanded entrance end and a normally collapsed flexible body portion and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suction head, and a plurality of vacuum tubes leading from the body portion of the suction head.

8.- Means for removing the peeling from vegetables and fruits which includes a suc-- tion head having a constantly expanded entrance end and a normally collapsed flexible body portion and means for holding the vegetable or fruit and moving it through said suction head, and a plurality of vacuum tubes leading from the body portion of the suction head.

In wltness whereof, We have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

CHARLES G. CHASE. v HARRY C. BUSCHMANN.

"Witnesses:

, 'ORPH'A M. MCLAUGHLIN,

GERTRUDE H. BOINK. 

